In The Good Book, editor Andrew Blauner assembles essays about the Bible's influence from a wide range of contributors, including literary fiction authors, nonfiction writers, social activists, and acclaimed commentators. In their varied responses, the writers discuss what specific passages mean to them, relate situations in which they have encountered the texts, and even reimagine some of the stories. Believers who appreciate different takes on the Bible, people interested in the intersection between writers and a particular classic work, and those who admire good writing will want to look into this anthology.

Author Laura Lynne Jackson has experienced premonitions about the deaths of friends and relatives since she was a child. At first fearful, Jackson later came to terms with this gift when her mother told her that psychic abilities ran in their family. Other aspects of Jackson's talent came to her as she grew older, and she eventually learned how to use them to offer guidance to others. She's also had her abilities tested by organizations that use scientific procedures to verify psychic manifestations. This engaging account will appeal to readers who are curious about psychic phenomena.

While Charles Schultz's Peanuts comic strip can be read simply as a humorous take on the challenges and vicissitudes of life, it often includes lighthearted philosophical and theological commentary. Although Christianity clearly has influenced the strip's content, Peanuts alone doesn't offer a spiritual profile of Schultz the man. In A Charlie Brown Religion, author Stephen Lind draws on written records and interviews, as well as the Peanuts comics and television specials, to create a religious portrait of the iconic artist and author. If you're interested in Schultz and his religious thought, be sure to pick up this book.

Author Alister McGrath, who is the Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University, has written several books about the philosophical conflict between science and religion. In The Big Question, McGrath discusses the debate over scientific atheism vs. faith-based theology. Asserting that science and religion aren't mutually exclusive, he discusses the sources of religious faith, the nature of scientific inquiry, and how belief in God relates to both. While he approaches the questions from a Christian perspective, this book appeals broadly to those interested in the apparent religion/science dichotomy. For another accessible discussion of the subject, try Jonathan Sacks' The Great Partnership.

Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church (a Houston, Texas megachurch) is well known to television audiences far beyond the Houston area. In Salvation with a Smile, religious historian Phillip Luke Sinitiere offers a thorough exploration of the roots of Lakewood Church in the Pentecostal movement, Osteen's life, and the significance of televangelism in American Christianity. While the book focuses specifically on Osteen and his church, it also provides insight into the megachurch movement and its style of evangelical Christianity in America. Readers interested in either aspect of the Lakewood Church phenomenon will find an engaging account offered by a thoughtful observer.

Author Howard Bloom has been interested in science since childhood and is particularly fascinated by evolutionary psychology and cosmology. In The God Problem, he considers how the universe could have come into being without the intervention of a creator; he also challenges the Big Bang theory. Bloom's "intellectual tour de force and heady expedition" (Library Journal) explores the history of philosophy and science, offering both believers and non-believers new ways to think about cosmology.

Martin Luther King, Jr., is remembered for his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, especially during the 1960s. However, his speeches and writing address a wider range of social and political issues as well as nonviolent movements and interfaith relations. In The Radical King, scholar Cornel West assembles King's short works -- some familiar, some less so -- into thematic groups that reflect West's perceptions of King's philosophy. His own commentary emphasizes more radical aspects of King's thought. Those who know King mainly from his "I Have a Dream" speech or from the 2014 film Selma will find this collection informative and thought-provoking.

In One Nation Under God, historian Kevin Kruse argues that the concept of the United States as a Christian nation originated quite recently. Tying the 20th-century Evangelical Christian movement to business leaders' opposition to the New Deal, he depicts the effort to link "American" closely to "Christian" as a marketing campaign designed to support the political agenda of certain capitalist interests. If you're intrigued by Kruse's well-researched discussion, try Peter Manseau's similarly thought-provoking One Nation, Under Gods.

While many people enjoy doing yoga purely as an aid to physical fitness, the discipline has its roots in spiritual practices and ethical principles. In Do Your Om Thing, yoga teacher Rebecca Pacheco makes the wisdom of ancient Hindu and Buddhist teachings accessible to modern Westerners. Relating such concepts as ahisma (non-harming) and aparigraha (abstaining from greed) to the distractions and temptations of life, she suggests incorporating them in daily practice to improve spiritual fitness. Whether you're experienced in yoga or a beginner, you'll find supportive guidance and inspiration in these pages.

Author Timothy Shriver (son of Sargent and Eunice Shriver and nephew of John F. Kennedy) has devoted much of his life to the Special Olympics. In this thoughtful memoir, Shriver recounts how his relationship to his Aunt Rosemary inspired him to join his mother in working for the needs of the intellectually disabled. Before he was able to do this work effectively, however, Shriver had to learn to see himself as God's beloved. Fully Alive offers Shriver's moving spiritual memoir in addition to the sobering story of Rosemary's life, Shriver's observations about social isolation of the disabled, and the inspiration he's received from Special Olympians. Kirkus Reviews calls the book "sincere, profound and deeply satisfying."

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